Non-Linear Modeling of Detectability of Ship Wake Components in Dependency to Influencing Parameters Using Spaceborne X-Band SAR

The detection of the wakes moving ships in Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) imagery requires presence wake signatures, which are sufficiently distinctive from ocean background. Various components exist, constitute SAR signatures ship wakes. For successful detection, contrast between detectable and background is crucial. detectability those affected by a number parameters, represent image acquisition settings, environmental conditions or properties including voyage information. In this study dependency individual to these parameters characterized. each component model built, takes influence incidence angle, polarization, wind speed, direction, sea state (significant wave height, wavelength, direction), vessel’s velocity, course over ground length into account. presented models based on regression classification using Support Vector Machines dataset manually labelled TerraSAR?X samples. considered are: near?hull turbulences, turbulent wakes, Kelvin arms, wake’s transverse waves, divergent V?narrow ship?generated internal waves. statements derived about mainly good agreement with previous research, but also some new assumptions provided. most expressive influencing parameter movement velocity vessels, as all more faster vessels move.